“Tommy's business is automobiles and so is mine,” cut in Rivington, pleasantly. “I am learning the fine points of the car before I go on the road.”
“As far as I can make out, your studies seem to be confined to road laws and all the known varieties of fines.”
“Talking about the law, Tommy is here to talk business with you. He didn't wish to come, but I broke the law of hospitality and compelled him to do as I said. If he gave me the chance he is going to give you I'd take it on the jump.” He turned away and walked toward a window, that his friend and his father might talk business without embarrassment. On the way he whispered to Tommy: “Split commissions—fifty-fifty.” Colonel Willetts looked inquiringly at Tommy. Tommy decided it was no time for boy talk, so he said very earnestly:
“Colonel, I am more concerned with interesting you in our work than with the investment of money in our business. We can save time if you will be good enough to read this statement.” And Tommy laid before the colonel Mr. Thompson's program. He took it for granted that his best friend's father not only would read the statement intelligently and sympathetically, but would be glad of the opportunity to do so. Colonel Willetts was looking at him almost with the intentness with which we watch a juggler on the stage. Whereupon Tommy smiled pleasantly to show that he shared the colonel's pleasure in the prospective perusal of the document.
The colonel got down to business. “Is this the prospectus?” he asked, suspiciously.
“No, sir, there is no prospectus. The company is not trying to raise money in the open market. It doesn't have to. The paper shows what our plans are. My visit here is merely to give an opportunity for a few of my personal friends to buy stock that I can't buy myself.”
“Why can't you?”
Tommy smiled good-naturedly. Evidently the rich don't understand that everybody isn't rich. He answered:
“Because I unfortunately haven't any money.”
“H'm!” grunted Colonel Willetts, looking like the chief of the general staff. “H'm! Pure friendship! Fine business reason!”